Gate



Feb. .12, 11952 J, B. MERCHANT GATE Filed Feb. 15, 1947 Fig- 3.

jrfi flERCHAA/T 3nventor 8g W (lttomeg Patented Feb. 12, 1952 U N I TED QFiF l 2,585,152

GATE

zJacobsB. Merchant,.Red Oak,- Iowa Apiilication'F- br'uary" 13, 1-941;"seriarNo:v2s;ss1

l invention relates to farmfencefgateaan'ti moreparticularly-it is'an" object or the invention to provide afence" gate which may beraisd"with respect to the surf ace of the ground.

Snow drifting around'fence"gates'onfarms and the like frequently makes itnecessary *for ause'r to first shovel-- the-snowdromaround 'the'gatef'in order to open it; Such" gates "are often relatively wideand for that reason it "frequently happens thathummooks in the surface ofthe :g'roiindin the'patlrof the "opening=swing of such agate make it*necessary' to' remove" thehummok b'fore thegateis imworking order. Itis an object v(5f 'the inventionto provide a fencesgate Tfor the purpose described SocOnstructed 'as'toTbeueasily I inthe'provision of a"fence;gate as ."desciii'be'd so constructed that the entire. gate. maylbe praised fromithe' surface of theigroun'd while .maintaining its? lower surface in general .iparallllism with the surface of the-ground for raising the ,position of 'thegat'e eitherifor temporaryf-per-iodsror 'fOrLpermanent usage. 7

"Other and stillf'fuitherfiobjects andadvantages of the invention willlbecemelapparent ifrom -.the following detailed ide'scription theredf.

"In the drawings:

Figure 11 .a ,frontal :elevation of ithelfenee gateof thisfinvention, parts thereofibeingbroken away, ...and a raised position of the gate being 'shownindbtted lines; Y

Figure -2 l is a top ,plan View of '.thesgate-- shown in; Figure 1;

.Figure 3 is an. enlargeditopplanidetailed -view of thenotched member shown in.=Fi'gure;1 into the notch: of =which=the1 gate: latch 1 issadapted to p.

n age;

Figure. 4 is a frontal: elevation-f othesnotched latch member shown in Figure 3.

:The: fence: gate. of :this'. invention is iforsattahmentcbetween apa'ir of fence gposts "orzssui ports fdooresection generally-indicated Eat H4. The

SQiaims. (Claw- 82) "door-settion l4 is iprferably tor a =reotang1'ilar shape having -parallelspaoed top and tii'attoirl "members I 6 and I" 8, respectively. A .pairof *end members Z-mand 22 arewelded or:otherwisesuita-bly 'secured at either en'd of the top and bettom members or rails-I'G-and I 8. *The jointsfll be tween the side members and '22 and *thei top and bottom-members i6 and l8 'maya'll beaniteredata right angle to the respectivemembers although i that joint '"26 which is at *orie 'f the lower corners of the door section i4 "ma'y be a butt-joint for-purposes later described.

"The door sect-ion or gate- (4 is "preferably" provided with barbed wire 21 suitably stretchedbetween-eye1ets -Z8, *for preventing-theescabe of animalstherethrough. The eylets2'8 maybe welded or otherwise secured tcrthe topar-fdbdttom-members I 6' and f8.

"The-members f6, I 8, 20"a'nd -22"are'preferably formed of hollow pipe. "Positione'd'at the"top and 7 bottom and protruding outwardly from the two TGOI'IIGIS' at one side "of the door-section I 4 "area pairofearsor hinge blates "'30. Thelatter "protrude outwardly generally parallel to the members I 6 and Iii-and are providedwith'apertures oropenings"for 'thereceipt 'of-a'pair'of bolts 32 and v34. v

The upper ear is rigidly secured *to the "door-section '[4 by welding or 'the "like. The lower ear'"30 is securedto 'a.ro'd-.or, pipe 3Bfthe latter being of a lesserdiameter'thanthe pipe .l'8. The, pipe"38 .extends' into the'pipe I [Balconsiderable distance, as' bestv shown" in'IFigure I1 and a sii'fficient distance so that if .the'lower bo1tl34 were 'maintained in' its original ,position sand-lthe gate [4 were pivotedabout the ibolt 3z then-the .pipea38 would at all.times be-sti1l partlyposi- .tioned-withinthe-pipe l8. 7

.The .bolts '32 1 and%34 attach the ears 30 to La pair of apertured tabs-40 and 42,1Jthe latter-being,.positi0ned parallel .to and adjacenttthe iealis -30. -.:Aipairof washers-are; provided :at either end of each of the bolts 32-v and- M and the: boltsm32 and :34 are each held inlplace :andwin: theiripo- :sition in thevtabsand ears by means of-r'a I'cotter pin 46 i at the opposite i endzof cea'ch 'iofilthe bolts 32 and :34 fromr-their heads. JIhe ta b's 403andr42 areeach providedat their other=:end= with emannular end portion iori'hub 48.

.The upright 2'?stahda;rd or verticall :fdispOSd rod. spaced ifrom and in parallelism with the post 1 L2: is inwa mositiondisposed throueh "re on or the spaced annular portions 48, -the-stan"dard $'0 :being :rounded I and 6f an sot-iterdiameter complemental to the inside walls of the annular portions 48. The standard 50 is provided with a series of spaced apertures 52 therein extending substantially the length of the standard 50.

A pair of securing rings 54 are disposed about the standard or rod 50, one below each of the annular portions 48. The rings 54 are each provided with a spike portion 56, the latter extending outwardly from the sides of the rings 54 and normally positioned in the post I2. The spike portions 56 are preferably tapered so that they maybe hammered into the post I2.

The standard 50 extends below the lower ring 54 a short distance and a distance considerably above the upper annular portion 48, that portion of the standard 50 which is above the upper annular portion 58 being also provided with spaced apart apertures 52.

That end of the gate 1 4 which is disposed in the direction of the post It is provided with a latch bar 60 extending through suitable slots in the member 20, the latch bar 60 being adapted to slide through the member 20 backward and forward in directions parallel with the gate Hi. The latch bar 60 is preferably provided with a series of spaced apart holes therethrough so that pins may be inserted through an aperture 62 in the side of the member 20. If desired, a nib 64 may be attached on the inner side of the member 26 and adjacent the latch bar 60, the nib 64 being provided with an aperture 65 so that a pin may be inserted through the aperture 66 and a desired one of the spaced apertures, not shown, in the latch bar 60.

The fence post is provided with a notched member generally indicated at 10, the latter including a post abutting portion 12. The post abutting portion 12 is preferably rounded on one side thereof, as indicated at M, for the purpose of snugly engaging about a rounded post Ill. The portion 12 is also provided with a pair of apertures 16 extending therethrough for receiving suitably screws 18, as best shown in Figure 4, the latter extending into the post Iii. The notched member 10 is also provided with an outwardly protruding lug 80 extending outwardly and at a right angle from the post abutting portion 12, the lug 80 extending in the direction of the latch bar 60. The lug 80 is provided'with a notch 82 in the upper side thereof of a size for receiving the latch 60 at desired times and the top corners of the lug 80 at either side of the notch 82 are preferably tapered downwardly, as shown at 84, so that at times when the gate is closed from either direction the latch 60 will be guided upwardly and into the notch 82.

, As thus described, it will be seen that a gate constructed in accordance with the invention may be raised and lowered by raising the free end of the gate l4 upwardly, pivoting the same about the upper bolt 32 in order to clear a snowdrift, hill or the like. At such times the pipe 38 will slide freely in the pipe I 8, and the upper ring or annular portion 48 will slide upwardly a slight distance shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

If desired, a gate as described may be either permanently or temporarily set in a higher or lower position with respect to the fence posts ill and I2 by raising the gate I l and then inserting a suitable pin 53 in one of the apertures 52 beneath one of the annular portions '48 and for this purpose a washer such as is indicated at 90 may be used and positioned between such a pin and the adjacent annular portion 48.

. From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a gate constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A gate for closing a gateway opening bounded by a pair of vertically disposed spaced apart supports comprising a door section disposed between said supports in a vertical plane and including a pipe forming the lower rail of said door section, said lower rail having an opening in the end thereof being disposed toward one of said supports; a rod partially telescopically disposed in said pipe; means pivotally attaching the outer end of said rod to said one support in a manner permitting pivotal movements of said rod in both horizontal and vertical planes; means pivotally attaching said door member to said one of said supports in a manner whereby said door section is free to swing without distortion in both vertical and horizontal planes and permitting movement of said rod as a whole in vertical directions, said pivotal attaching means being disposed above said pipe; and means removably connecting the other one of said supports to the side of said door member adjacent that other support.

2. A gate for closing a gateway opening bounded by a pair of vertically disposed spaced apart supports comprising a door section disposed between said supports in a vertical plane and including a pipe forming the lower rail of said door section, said lower rail having an opening in the end thereof being disposed toward one of said supports; a vertically disposed standard disposed between said door section and said one support,

; said standard being secured to said one support in a manner preventing movement of said standard vertically with respect to said one support, said standard being provided with a series of spaced apart apertures therethrough; a ring rotatably and slidably disposed about said standard; means pivotally attaching said ring to said door section in a manner permitting said door section to pivot in a vertical plane with respect to said ring; a pin removably disposed in any selected one of said holes for maintaining said ring and door section at a desired vertical position with respect to said standard; a rod partially telescopically disposed in said pipe; a second ring disposed rotatably and slidably about said standard, said second ring being disposed beneath said first mentioned ring; means securing said second ring to the exposed end of said rod in a manner permitting the pivotal movement of that end of said rod which is disposed in said pipe in a vertical direction with respect to said second ring; and means removably connecting the other one of said supports to the side of said door member adjacent that other support.

3. A gate for closing a gateway opening having a vertically disposed post at each side thereof comprising a standard carried by one of said posts in approximate parallelism therewith; two spaced apart members pivotally attached to said standard for horizontal swinging pivotal movements, one of saidmembers being slidable along said standard; a door section disposed between said posts in a vertical plane, the upper portion of one end of said door section being pivotally secured to the upper one of said members for permitting said door to pivot in a vertical plane; means for permitting the other end of said gate to swing upwardly, said upward swing permitting mechanism comprising an elongated member having one end thereof slidably attached to a lower portion of said gate, the other end of said elongated member being pivotally secured to the lower one of said spaced apart members for swinging movements in a vertical plane.

4. In a gate assembly, the combination which comprises a pair of posts, a pair of rings positioned in spaced horizontal planes extended from one of said posts, a vertically disposed rod having spaced openings extended therethrough positioned in the said rings, spaced upper and lower hubs slidably mounted on the said rod, said hubs having tabs with openings therein extended therefrom and said tabs positioned in a common vertical plane, a gate having horizontally disposed tubular rails connected at the ends with vertical members positioned between the said posts, an upper hinge plate having an opening therethrough extended from an upper corner of the gate, a lower hinge plate extended from the lower corner of the end of the gate from which the upper hinge plate extends, bolts extended through the said hinge plates and tabs for connecting the gate to the said vertically disposed rod, pins extended through the said openings of the vertically disposed rod for retaining the said rod and gate in adjusted positions, means adjusting the distance of the said lower hinge plate from the lower corner of the gate, and a latch for temporarily holding the end of the gate opposite to that on which the said hinge plates are positioned to the other of the said posts.

5. In a gate assembly, the combination which comprises a pair of posts, a pair of rings positioned in spaced horizontal planes extended from one of said posts, a vertically disposed rod having spaced openings extended therethrough positioned in the said rings, spaced upper and lower hubs slidably mounted on the said rod, said hubs having tabs with openings therein extended therefrom and said tabs positioned in a common vertical plane, a gate having horizontally disposed tubular rails connected at the ends with vertical members positioned between the said posts, an upper hinge plate having an opening therethrough extended from an upper corner of the gate, a rod slidably mounted in the lower rail of the gate and positioned to extend from the end of the gate upon which the upper hinge plate is positioned, a lower hinge plate carried by the extended end of the rod in the lower rail of the gate, bolts extended through the said hinge plates and tabs for mounting the gate on the said vertically disposed rod, pins extended through the openings in the vertically disposed rod for retaining the rod and gate in adjusted positions, and a latch for temporarily holding the end of the gate opposite to that on which the hinge plates are positioned to the other of the said posts.

JACOB B. MERCHANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 239,559 Schamberger Mar. 29, 1881 381,859 Stanley Apr. 24, 1888 676,429 Ellis June 18, 1901 727,734 Barley May 12, 1903 832,428 Spilger Oct. 2, 1906 865,577 Edwards Sept. 10, 1907 1,079,283 Akre Nov. 18, 1913 1,316,062 Rowe Sept. 16, 1919 2,172,868 Elson Sept. 12, 1939 

